The Thrill of First Flight
Posted by 
pixiestixy on Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 23 Comments Tags: 3:2, artisan riding, cold weather flying, dalaran, expert riding, first flight, flight path, flight practice, flightpaths, flying mount, fp, griffon, level 77, northrend, wind rider, wyvern
pixiestixy on Thursday, July 16, 2009 - 23 Comments Tags: 3:2, artisan riding, cold weather flying, dalaran, expert riding, first flight, flight path, flight practice, flightpaths, flying mount, fp, griffon, level 77, northrend, wind rider, wyvern 
I'm sure most everyone who's gotten through the WotLK content can relate. You've been in Northrend for a while and cruising through the journey to level 80. And finally, one of those landmarks that you've been waiting for - Level 77: the level you become eligible to train Cold Weather Flying. And if you play it right, it's also a transition to some quick leveling.I've been questing in Northrend since level 68, so I skipped over expert and artisan riding that became available at level 70. But regardless, flying has been something I've really been looking forward to.
Leading up to hitting 77, I had been questing in Zul'Drak, then headed back to Borean Tundra to catch some quests I missed earlier. When I dinged, I headed straight away to Dalaran and paid a visit to Hira Snowdawn at Krasus' Landing to buy the skills, and Dama Wildmane in Shadowmoon Valley to pick up my swift purple wind rider. About 7,000 gold later, I was ready to fly. The only problem? It takes some getting used to.
I summoned the wyvern and started off with a jump. Flight practice. I tried aiming for the top of a tower in Shadowmoon Valley, and started the flying climp up. Much, much faster than I anticipated, I had overshot the roof and was hovering above it. I changed tactics and decided to aim with the mouse. Just like swimming. I aimed again, and touched down on the tower. Not too bad.
I got the hang of getting around, but still am perfecting the art of picking out the perfect spot to touch down when near mobs. And running off the side of a cliff still makes my stomach flop over as I expect to start falling. But the wind rider's got my back.
For now, the act of flying is still somewhat of a luxury for me because it's still so new. But I know soon enough, it'll become just another aspect of the game that I take for granted - that's the natural course of things. I remember how paying for my first trip between flight paths also seemed pretty magical, and quickly was only a means to get around.
Especially with all the changes to mounts coming for patch 3.2, it seemed the appropriate time to reminisce a bit about the thrill of first flight. Do you all remember your first jaunt on a flying mount?
Reader Comments (23)
aye first flight,
i just was happy enough i finaly got the gold and somehow it was pretty hard for me to even get a 1000g at the time. stil was during tbc
and then after loads of flying to get it, i summond my mount and felt as free as a bird. the best almost the best moment in the game ever. execpt raiding ofc
yeah those times were good now i got a nice dragon and a fly epicly trew the sky. i never really trained at flying like you did i just bounce around a bit
wow, you really found flying in the game difficult? It moves like any other method of travel.
I still dont have the gold for epic flying =( but im excited for the new changes my 60% Speed mount is now 150%!!!! Also im exalted with Horde Expedition so thats 1000G less that i need =)
I remember getting to 68 on my druid, learning to fly, all the guildies wanting me to get to 70.
good times, good times
I can understand how adding a new dimension to travel and going nearly twice as fast as before can be a little bit of a shock, most people start with the 60% version for (extended) training.
On an unrelated note, has anyone else noticed the flight training quest in Sholozar Basin, the one that's obviously meant to show you how to fly as you buy Cold Weather Flying, doesn't use normal mount controls? That threw me off more than once.
The only problems with flight I've ever had was when I played the game on a Mac using a Mac mouse. I could never get the right side of the button to work like it does on a PC. Eventually I put a PC mouse onto the Mac and was able to fly the way I'm used to.
I remember before using flying, I used my keyboard to move around more than my mouse, but then I got my swift flight form and in an attempt to herb efficiently I learned how to use my mouse all the time.
I used to enjoy watching the scenery and doing dives or coming out of flight form only to hit it again right before I hit the ground, because it was funny, but now I hardly ever do that. Still, I really love having the epic flying because I know so many people spend a long time getting it.
Verdict - WoW Airlines is the way to travel, folks~
Don't shortchange yourselves.. learn to fly - in the World of Warcraft..
hehehehehehehe!!!
I totally remember my first time flying! It was just like swimming but anywhere I wanted (Inside Outlands at the time). Then I learned the epic flying training but I still wasnt lvl 77 so that sucked cuz I could only fly in the outlands (which I was never there after lvl 68). But once I hit lvl 77 I lvl'd up faster than I could imagine! I totally take it for granted now. I hop on my flying mount just to go a few yards to a vendor or a dead animal to skin. Its rediculous but I love it! :) I also just got the Bronze Drake from CoS and now I feel like Im flyin in style (although I know there are way cooler mounts out there, but I think it looks waaaay cooler than the nether drakes). Im still tryin for the damned Green Proto! Anyone that has yet to purchase the epic flying training just keep in there, you Will eventually get the 5000g to buy it. The hard part is when you actually have to click the purchase button.
yeh that was a good flight i was so used to jumping on my regular mount (because i always jump when im mounted)i forgot and started flying around i was happy
yea going from no flying to epic flying must be a big jump but i dont think a lot of people make that jump right away. i know i didnt i had regular flying for a long time before i even thought about getting epic flying.
but yes the first time you fly it is magical i spent my first day flying just flying around outlands then another day spent flying around northrend when i got epic flying
Oh damn I miss the days when it felt like my stomach was turning when I jumped off a cliff :-(
And when I just started playing, couple of weeks after release. I will not get an epic feeling like that in ANY game. WoW was and still is (kind of) my favourite game.
@Floella, i still do that. coming out of naxx as a tree n just run out of it, change to flight form, just before splattering on the ground lol.
Epic stomach-turning sensation? Jump off the tallest building in Prototype.
"OH MY GOOOODDDDD!" *CRUSH!*
You don't take any fall damage, though.
right clicking your mounts portrait is good for easy dismounting, just be sure to not dismount too early or youll take a bunch of fall damage.
I remember when I got my first 280% flying mount. A purple wind-rider(I wass in 80). I flew to around in Shadowmoon and started doing a few dailies for Netherwing. The I bought all the horde flying mounts (except the armored blue), and now I'm flying on my beautiful Albino Drake. I hope I get the dragonhawk in the future.
aaahhhh frist flight i was 70 flyinging around shadowmoon and saw what would happen when i fell into the twisting nether.........don't try at hom ot anywhere poeple!
when i got my epic flyer back in BC i literally flew around acting like a jet plane for like 20 minutes and i made the lil sounds in vent...sad thing is im almost 18 lol...it was fun tho
I remember my first toon, an engineer...FINALLY getting the mats for the good ol' rofflecopter, FINALLY getting the money for the flying skill...i swear I flew around Zangar for three hours making copter noises...we won't discuss what I did when I made my first rofflechopper lol
Yes my very first flight was very fun. I had the normal flying (and still does at 80 but I am about 700 gold away) and the Tawny Wind Rider. I just barely touched the space bar and I was flying! It was SOOOOO awesome!
I also just got the Bronze Drake so now I put him in the bank until he's "ripe" enough to fly.
Sadly, everyone has one QQ!
Oh, I forgot I also named him!
I call him Thornitus (which is where I got this from).
Heh, the first flying I got was back in BC, just got the regular flying cause that's all I could afford at the time. Flew around for a minute or so, got mad at the 60% fly speed and hopped a FP to where ever it was that I was grinding quests at for money.
Getting the Epic Flying skill though, that was awesome. At that point I stopped using the FP's and just took my bird everywhere... well, unless I just wanted to go AFK while I went there.
On occasion I'll still circle around where I want to land 3 times just to remind me of the old FP system though.
I love flying. It's probably the single most enjoyable thing I do in the game. Besides killing things, of course.
My first lift off was pure joy ... I was light, I was UP, I was free! I was sloooooow. The next week was spent selling everything that every alt had and farming like crazy. In less than a week I was flying like Blizz intended and I still love looping through the trees and bridges in Nagrand.